Jen Tech Yoga: Baptiste Level 1

Baptiste Level 1

Showing posts with label Baptiste Level 1. Show all posts

Sitting behind the Tech Desk at Level One offered me a unique perspective, literally and figuratively. I was apprenticing the Level One Baptiste training and I'd mentioned I'd love to learn about what's involved in running the Tech Desk. I got the chance to shadow & then run it on Thursday morning.

That Thursday morning started with meditation and then the group self practice - to recreate Journey Into Power from Integration through Igniting.

Let me take you back to my first self practice of Level One in 2016. I was in the front row, far away from the Journey Into Power poster of the sequence and poses. I began my self practice, moving through the Sun A Salutations but when I began the Sun B sequence, my practice fell apart. I didn't know what poses (or how many of which) made up one complete Sun B. I faltered, and came to child's pose. I thought that everyone behind me must know that I don't know what I'm doing. We were asked to memorize Journey Into Power before arriving for Level One. I thought I had done that, I thought I knew it from so many years practicing at Breath and Body. I was wrong. I felt defeated, crushed by my inability to know what to do next. I began to cry, feeling like a failure, like a fraud, like everyone could clearly see that I didn't know what I was doing. Crying and feeling worthless, I began again with the Sun A Salutations, not know what else to do. When we broke for lunch, I sought out a more knowledgable yogi and asked him what are all the poses for a Sun Salutation B and what is the ending pose?

It seems like such a simple thing, not knowing what the collection of yoga poses are that are a Sun B, but I made it into much more than that. I made that not knowing into a sign on my back that said "This lady doesn't know what she's doing. She's a fraud." I couldn't shake the feeling that my not knowing had been witnessed and judged.

Fast forward to that Thursday morning behind the Tech Desk. I had the opportunity to watch and witness the self practice of 150+ yogis unfold, at their own pace, with their own breath linking each pose to the next. There was no way I could tell who was doing Journey Into Power correctly or out of order, even if I had tried. Some yogis would sync up with one another as they flowed from section to section, others moved to a rhythm all their own. It was a glorious sight to behold. I felt such a powerful love swelling up in my chest for all the beautiful humans in the room. A room full of yogis moving with their breath from pose to pose, with nobody watching, criticizing, or critiquing. It was only then that I could see how wrong I'd been to judge myself so harshly during my first self practice. There was no critic in this room, only yogis moving with their breath, doing the work, feeling the ground under their feet and the breath in their lungs. The only critic in the room was in my own mind, of my own invention.

Fully realizing this, seeing it with my own eyes allowed me to have a different appreciation for the Journey Into Power sequence and the yogis that were practicing it. Seeing them move from Sun A to Sun B and on through the flow was beauty in motion. Moving for the sake of joy, from memory, for memory, for life, for love, for freedom and growth. Moving just to move. Not moving to be right or beautiful or better or perfect. Moving for love. Love of the practice, love of yoga, love of being alive, the love of being in community, the love of a shared experience.

Do the work and you will have the power. It is as simple (and as difficult) as that.

What happens behind the curtain to put together a Baptiste program like Level One is similar to the sorcery that is witnessed on Master Chef. Each person, each participant, each team role is a unique ingredient in the recipe. How it all comes together depends on the openness, and receptivity of each person gathered to take part in the Baptiste program. I've just spent a week with a group of amazing people in the Catskills Mountains in Phoenicia, NY. I had the extreme pleasure of Apprenticing the Level One Baptiste Yoga Training held at the Menla Mountain Retreat Center.

Without giving away too much, here's a rundown of what's involved. The apprentice team arrives on site a half day earlier than the participants in order to get settled in and have a team luncheon to meet all the other team members and begin to define roles, choose roles, define our personal "win" for the week and create a Team Promise.

As we were defining our wins and the parts of our team promise, I was chosen to be the primary scribe of the program notes. There are two whiteboards which the participants use to know where to be, when to be there and what the overnight assignments are. Once the session is let out, I'd go scribe on the whiteboard at the main Nolanda Conference Center, then make my way down to the Dining Hall to scribe down there. At the outset, I was uncertain as to how I'd make that trek to the Dining Hall and back in an efficient manner (it's a bit of a hoof), but Michael said he'd brought his mountain bike with him & that would make the trip to and fro easier. Later that day, I was told that I could take the golf cart to the Dining Hall to scribe! Super! This would let me get there, scribe quickly and then get back to NCC to help the other team members with their tasks. I hadn't driven a golf cart in over 15 years and man is it still fun! The one thing I didn't think about was how cold I'd be driving the golf cart after a hot yoga practice, in sweaty clothes, after dark, up to the dining hall! Woah was that a chilly ride!

Other team roles that could be selected were Wellness, Facilitator Hydration, Greeter/Sweeper, Marketplace, Meditation Blankets, Towel Table and Tech Desk. I also doubled as Greeter/Sweeper at the top of the trail head by NCC and split the rest of my time at Marketplace. Sweeping means to pass through the Dining Hall and breakfast and dinner to give everyone a time check letting them know how much time was left before program begins at NCC. Once I'd 'swept' then I took my place back at the trail head turn to NCC to show the way to NCC. Several participants told me that me being there helped them to not miss their turn to the conference center.

The setup/teardown of the chairs for the different inquiry/discussion sessions was the most challenging part of apprenticing. The program was sold out and the total number of Baptiste people there was 163 (I think; I could be off by a few on this number). Not all the chairs are the same size, type or weight. Some of them are old fashioned metal chairs and are quite heavy. When we all synchronized into a smooth system of passing the chairs - forming a human chain of moving chairs, the process went quickly. One evening we were able to completely tear down a full chair setup in less than twenty minutes!

Saturday morning I mentioned interest in shadowing the Tech Desk to Will, John and Michael and I was able to sit in and run the tech desk for the morning asana session on Thursday morning. Lots of power strips, batteries and many wireless mics make amplification of the whole event possible. The speakers in the corners of the room are TurboSounds iQ15 powered speakers, the mixer was an APB DynaSonics ProRack H 1020, four (4) hand held Shure PGXD4 mics, one (1) headset Shure PGXD4 mic, Baron's Shure QLXD4 headset mic and an ARTcessories AV Direct box to bring the audio from the Macbook into the mixing board via a mini stereo to RCA stereo cable. The room audio is recorded with a Zoom H4N recorder so that Baron can listen to the program afterward and reflect on how the program went and observe his facilitation of the program. Just that week, the Zoom had stopped working but luckily I had my Xacti recorder in my backpack. Will was able to use my Xacti to record the room audio until the Zoom they ordered showed up later that week. I had traveled to Menla with my work backpack full of my tech gear, so I was also able to loan my quick charge iPad plug and multi connector cables to Will for charing up Baron's phone. Luca Richards was there as Lead Content for the program and he got lucky that I had my USB-C to USB adapter so that he could print some of the program content in a pinch!

On Friday I was also able to come to the rescue with a loner 64GB SD card for Cordelia (Social Media/Marketing for the Baptiste Institute) to use to record the two discussion sessions of the last day. The SD card in Baron's camera (Leica V-Lux) which she'd been using was full of pictures that still needed to be edited and her laptop didn't have enough hard disc space to store them. Long tech story short - it turned out to be an amazingly good thing that I'd flown to Menla straight from a work trip, or I wouldn't have had any of those tech things with me!

Our team gelled quickly and we all worked well together. Our roles ended up getting more fluid on Thursday & Friday. Several of us switched roles, subbed for one another or trained another team member to handle their role as the program schedules shifted.

I found it fascinating to learn that the content of the program is fluid up until it is presented to the participants. The Program content and schedule is determined by the feel of the group and nothing is set in stone at any given time. Content is added in or left out in the same way that when you're cooking, you sometimes need to add more sugar or leave out the salt.

I had an amazing time catching up with old friends and making new friends that feel like family!

Soon I will be making my way back to Menla for a third visit! This time around I will have the extreme pleasure of apprenticing the 2018 Baptiste Level One Training. Just two short years ago, I was attending my first Level One training, now I'm going back in co-creation of the program as a team member and as a participant in the development of my own leadership.

Once again, I'm nervous about packing even though this is my third trip to Menla. This time I'll be flying to Albany out of St. Louis and I won't have the luxury of unpacking after a work trip and packing fresh for a trip to Menla. I know, I know, it's a small thing all in all.

I'm back to Menla, but into the unknown. Familiar surroundings, some familiar faces, but an all new experience. I know I will come back home re-energized and full of post-training Baptiste magic. I'm so excited!!

I am confident that very soon, other Tampa area yogis will be going off to their first Baptiste trainings and coming home ready to give back their fresh energy into the local yoga community. It's a beautiful thing and I'm very excited to be a part of it.

I have never been as proud to wear and keep an event lanyard as I am of my badge from Baptiste Level One training.

For the past eight days I have been attending my first Level One experience at the Menla Mountain Retreat Center in upstate New York (in Phoenecia, near the Catskills Mountains). Prior to arriving, I scoured the Internet, searching for information on what to bring, what to expect, how to prepare?! Essentially, I came up empty handed. I know that my experience is only a tiny sliver (1/155th) of the overall event, but I am compelled to share my experience with others.

My planning/packing is well documented in this blog post, and now that I have been there and back, I can identify things that I would have done differently, or not at all.

Starting with the logistics of getting to Menla - I had a great experience with Advantage Transportation. Our driver Lawrence was waiting four our group at the Albany airport before I'd even landed. He was very helpful, friendly and he went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant trip to and from Menla. He arrived early on our departure date, picking me up outside my bunkhouse (and saving me a ten minute walk to the front of the Lhasa Inn (the main dining hall and check in/out desk).

I opted for the bunkhouse residency in order to be more involved in the social aspects of Level One and I had several warm, connective conversations across the kitchen table of the Dragon House. I was unaware that the bunkhouse had no air conditioning but had a full kitchen. As a result, the battery powered fan I brought was essential. If I had known about the refrigerator, I would've brought a silicone ice tray, but luckily a lady on the lower level of the bunkhouse came prepared! Genius!!

My clothes drying rack worked well enough, but I'll have to redesign the main tripod connection joint. The epoxy I used didn't hold the tripod nut to the PVC cap as well as I'd hoped. The handout says to pack enough changes of clothes for 2 changes per day, but what it does not say is that your sleeping quarters are such a long walk away from the dining hall that you won't have enough time to eat, get showered/changed and get back to the conference center in time. Out of the eight days, I managed to catch a full mid-day shower once. Two other days I managed to wash my hair in the sink during lunch. I brought 7 full outfits and only had to re-wear one pair of leggings. The Nalanda Conference Center is a full ten minute walk to the Lhasa Inn Dining Hall by way of the South road. There is a trail through the woods (indicated on the Menla map) which is only a five minute walk between Nalanda and Lhasa. Either way, the one day I managed to shower, I was already beginning to sweat by the time I'd returned to Nalanda for the after lunch inquiry session.

Bring baby wipes/antiseptic wipes, twine to string up clothes lines (I didn't think of this), and shoes that can traverse gravel roads and uneven surfaces. Espadrilles are not sufficient (trust me on this one).

The gift shop in the Lhasa Inn is stocked with bug spray, sunscreen, deodorant and other sundries if you forget anything (or don't want to pack everything in your carry-on bag). Had I known this, I would've left some stuff at home & bought it there if I needed it.

The first night was a general overview of the tenets of Baptiste yoga and an outline for the rest of the week's schedule. Our days began with breakfast from 6:30-7:30 in the main dining hall (Lhasa Inn), followed by morning meditation at 8am in the Nalanda Conference Center. Each morning Baron held a guided meditation for our group, followed by us listening to audio tracks from Tree of Knowledge by Humberto R. Maturana or selections of Osho. After meditation, we had a snack break and then returned to the conference center room for asana practice. The first day (Sunday), Baron led us through the Journey Into Power sequence. Subsequent days we did individual practice of our own JIP flow, each day building on the previous day's learned section of the flow. After lunches, we'd return to the conference center for Inquiry work, sharing sessions or connection oriented interactive games.

Our inquiry sessions began with the group being asked to create a fear inventory. We drew four columns on a page of our journals and the header for each column went like this:

What are some of your fears?	What are the things that you do or do not do to handle these fears?	What is the experience you have when those fears are happening?	What do you say to yourself or others to explain your emotional reaction and/or those body sensations?

With this beginning list of fears, we were asked to journal that evening on the day's events. The following day we began inquiry on our pretenses, what are we hiding and what does it cost us? The next inquiry session focused on us creating a complaint list, what it costs us and what the complaint is about (being specific). These inquiry sessions were spread out throughout the week's events, each session building on the previous sessions' work.

The takeaway I had from the inquiry work was the full understanding that the voice in my head (the internal narrator/critic) is a liar of the worst kind. It is human nature to make stories about the things we observe/experience. This does not make these stories fact. They are just stories (lies). Each and every one of us struggles with an internal narrator who tells us such things as "I am no good", "I am alone", "I am unloveable", "I am unwanted". The list is endless and the list is complete bullshit. Thing happen to us, we make assumptions, crate a story and then cary this story with us as an trophy/albatross as a reason/excuse for why we are the way that we are. The fact is, if we change our minds/stories that anything is possible for us once we stop living behind the towering fortress walls of our stories/lies.

Each of us has a "hidden truth/secret", kept from others because if they found out this truth, they'd leave us, wouldn't love us, wouldn't accept us and we'd be alone. These "truths" are often "I'm not good enough", "I'm not smart enough", "I'm bad", "I'm a loser", "I'm a failure". These statements are lies and are incredibly self-limiting. Our earliest experiences shape (restrict) our adult selves, but letting the hurting six year old child within each of us run the emotional control board of our meat covered skeleton made of space dust is a guaranteed recipe for misunderstanding, resentment, frustration, loneliness, anger, etc.

The connection oriented sessions reminded me of some of the games I've played within the Authentic Relating Community in Austin Texas. There are many cities across the United States and Canada that have communities similar to that of the Austin Love Juggernaut. I encourage you to do some research and see if there isn't an AR community in your town! The events are small-ish gatherings (less than 30 people typically) where people come together out of curiosity and engage in person-to-person relating experiences.

To ease the group of Level One attendees into relating to one another more fully, we were asked to engage in eye gazing for one minute with each partner we paired up with before we entered into the teacher/student training portion of each day's Level One training. Each morning Baron asked us to generate "Good Morning" with our community and have us greet our community one by one with a hearty "Good Morning". After three days of inter-relating connecting games and sharing experiences, the handshakes that had originally accompanied the "Good Morning" exercise spontaneously evolved into hugging on the 4th morning. It was a beautiful thing to behold!

I am deliberately excluding full descriptions of the connection oriented events that we engaged in so that I don't ruin the surprise and discovery for anyone embarking on their first Level One trip!

The Nalanda Conference Center is a beautiful, spacious room with lovely views of the woods out each of the windows. The Baptiste Institute had hung posters on the main wall of the studio for this event. Each banner listed different aspects of the Baptiste methodology - The Centerline, True North Alignment, The 10 Tenets of Teaching Baptiste Yoga etc. I have transcribed the contents of the banners here:

WITNESS

THE OBSERVER SELF

MENTAL REALM

THOUGHTS, ATTITUDES, DECISIONS, BELIEFS, IMAGES OF THE PAST

↓

EMOTIONS

↓

BODY SENSATIONS

↓

ACTIONS/NON-ACTIONS

↓

RESULTS

(all of these things = WHO I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE)

THE CENTERLINE
The centerline is the place between the right and left side of the body. From the skin to the muscle to the bone PULL INTO each bone... then, all the engaged parts of the body pull into the centerline and core to PRESS & EXPRESS OUT.

THE PRACTICES & TECHNIQUES OF BAPTISTE YOGA

1. Physical (Asana): Journey Into Power as an access to vitality, power & freedom.
2. Meditation (Dhyana): As an access to getting present & awakening.
3. Inquiry (Niyama): As an access to discovery & new possibility.

TRUE NORTH ALIGNMENT
1. Ground down like EARTH
    FEET
        Both feet at 12 o'clock
        Ground down the 4 corners of the feet
        Stretch the toes out on the mat
    LEGS
        Inner ankles back, outer ankles down
        Outer shins in
        From the skin to the muscle to the bone, hug in
2. Flow like WATER
    1. Soften the joints
    2. Keep the pelvis neutral
    3. Lift the front of the pelvis as the tailbone descends
3. Build an inner FIRE
    1. From the skin to the muscle to the bone, hug in
    2. Pull the pit of the belly in and up
    3. Draw the front ribs together, expand the mid-back
    4. Expand from the inside out
4. Soften like AIR
    1. Thoracic spine draws in
    2. Upper arm bones back
    3. Shoulder blades move towards the spine & press into the body
5. Create SPACE for something new
    1. Draw in to create full expression out!

THE TEN TENETS OF TEACHING BAPTISTE YOGA
1. Come from we are connected
2. Drop what you know and listen
3. Teach from the methodology
4. Fill the space
5. Leave people in their greatness
6. Speak into each and every
7. Listen for how your words are landing in people's bodies and hearts
8. Create the listening for contribution
9. Look for and speak to what is missing
10. Generate inspiration

THE 5 ORGANIZING PRINCIPALS OF TRUE NORTH ALIGNMENT
1. Be Intentional: in creating the physical foundation of the pose & being up to something bigger than yourself
2. Balanced Action: Create Sthira Sukha
3. The Five Pillars: Put in and keep present Drishti, Ujjayi, Bandhas, Tapas, Vinyasa
4. Total Body Integrity: PULL IN, PRESS DOWN & LIFT UP to integrate... create muscle to bone connection (pull into centerline & core)
5. Total Body Expression: PRESS, LIFT, MOVE & fully express out (move out from center & core)

THE FIVE PILLARS OF THE BAPTISTE POWER VINYASA YOGA PRACTICE
1. Drishti - Gaze
2. Ujjayi - Breath
3. Foundation - Core, Hands & Feet
4. Tapas - Heat
5. Vinyasa - Flow

THE ART & MASTERY OF PRACTICING & TEACHING
1. LOOK: For True North & what's possible. Put your drishti ON the areas you want to transform.
2. LISTEN: Your listening makes the difference and not your knowledge.
3. GIVE TOOLS: That make a difference right now

THE 3 THEMES OF BAPTISTE TRAINING

1. Be a YES: As a creation, not a concept. Put your attention ON what you feast to have happen and be for it.

2. Give Up What You Must: Bring into view & let go the fixed drishti's (perceptions) & Tadasana's (positions) that thwart and constrain you.

3. Come From You Are Ready Now: Move, breathe & have your being from "Right now is all I've got." Make the higher call at each step.

THE THREE SOURCE PRINCIPLES
1. Physicalness
2. Possibility
3. Empowerment

The words we were taught for cueing True North Alignment differed somewhat from those on the banners. The banners were dated 2014, so I can only assume that these are the new verbal cues Baron wants us to use to teach True North Alignment.

New cueing words - 2016 Level One

Feet on 12 o'clock
Lift the 10 toes
Spread the 10 toes
Press the mound of each big toe down
Press the center of each heel down
Lift up
Turn the inner ankles back
Pull the leg muscles into the bones
Pull the outer shins in
Lift the front of the pelvis up towards the belly button
Pull the pit of the belly into the spine
Pull the shoulders up to your ears
Expand out across the chest and upper back
Pull the shoulders straight back
Press the thoracic spine into the chest

New cueing words - 2018 Level One

Feet on 12 o'clock
Lift the 10 toes
Spread the 10 toes
Press the mound of each big toe down
Press the center of each heel down
Lift up
Pull the leg muscles to the bones
Turn the inner ankles back
Pull the outer shins in
Lift the front of the pelvis up towards the belly button
Pull the pit of the belly in toward the spine
Pull the shoulders up to the ears
Expand the chest and upper back
Pull the front ribs in toward the center
Pull the shoulders straight back
Press the thoracic spine into the chest
Pull the jaw bone straight back to the neck

The full sequencing of poses for the Journey Into Power are as follows:

Child's pose
Down dog
Ragdoll
Mountain
Samasthiti with three OMs
Sun Salutation A:

Extended Mountain
Forward fold
Half Lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Step or hop to the front of the mat
[repeat 5x]

Sun Salutation B:

Thunderbolt
Forward Fold
Half lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Right Foot Warrior 1
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Left Foot Warrior 1
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
[repeat 5x]

Sun B Variation - Flip dog /side plank [on last down dog of last Sun B]

Flip dog on Right side
Transition to side plank on left side
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Flip dog on Left side
transition to side plank on right side
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog

Sun B Variation with Crescent Lunge into twist:

Step or hop to the front of the mat
Thunderbolt
Forward fold
Half lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Crescent lunge right side
hands to heart center
twist to the right
open up to Warrior 2
transition to Extended Side Angle
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Crescent lunge left side
hands to heart center
twist to the left
open up to Warrior 2
transition to Extended Side Angle
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog

Thunderbolt prayer twist (once each side)
Fingers to toes forward fold (feet hip width apart)
Palms to toes forward fold (feet hip width apart)
Crow Pose
Eagle Pose (2x each side)
Standing Leg Raise
Airplane
Half Moon
Dancer's Pose (2x each side)
Tree
Sun Salutation B - variation with triangle
Forward Fold
Half Lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Right Foot Warrior 1
Open Up Warrior 2
Straighten front leg, Triangle
Side Facing Wide Leg Forward Bend
Namaste Front Facing Forward Fold
Twisting Triangle
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Left Foot Warrior 1
Open Up Warrior 2
Straighten front leg, Triangle
Side Facing Wide Leg Forward Bend
Namaste Front Facing Forward Fold
Twisting Triangle
Locust (x2)
Floor Bow (x2
Upward Facing Dog
Camel (x2
Bridge
Wheel (x6)
Supta Baddha Konasana
Dead Bug
Scissor Legs (x50)
60/30 Lift (x10)
Abdominal Twists (x50 [25 each side])
Boat Pose (high to low x10)
Half Pigeon Right Side
Downward Facing Dog
Half Pigeon Left side
Double Pigeon (x1 each side)
Frog
Seated Single Leg Extension (x1 each side)
Seated Forward Bend
Table Top
Fish
Shoulder stand / Head stand/ Handstand or Waterfall pose
Plow Pose
Deaf Man's Pose
Supine Twist (x1 each side)
Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Savasana

The Journey Into Power sequence with the intention for each of the eleven sequence sections is listed below:

INTEGRATION

Child's pose
Down dog
Ragdoll
Mountain Pose
Samasthiti with three OMs

AWAKENING

Sun Salutation A:

Extended Mountain
Forward fold
Half Lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Step or hop to the front of the mat
[repeat 5x]
Sun Salutation B:

Thunderbolt
Forward Fold
Half Lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Right Foot Warrior 1
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Left Foot Warrior 1
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
[repeat 5x]
Sun B Variation - Flip dog /side plank [on last down dog of last Sun B]

Flip dog on Right side
Transition to side plank on left side
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Flip dog on Left side
transition to side plank on right side
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog

VITALITY

Sun B Variation with Crescent Lunge into twist:

Step or hop to the front of the mat
Thunderbolt
Forward Fold
Half Lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Crescent lunge right side
hands to heart center
twist to the right
open up to Warrior 2
transition to Extended Side Angle
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Crescent lunge left side
hands to heart center
twist to the left
open up to Warrior 2
transition to Extended Side Angle
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Thunderbolt prayer twist (once each side)
Fingers to toes forward fold (feet hip width apart)
Palms to toes forward fold (feet hip width apart)
Crow Pose

EQUANIMITY

Eagle Pose (2x each side)
Standing Leg Raise
Airplane
Half Moon
Dancer's Pose (2x each side)
Tree

GROUNDING

Sun Salutation B - variation with triangle
Forward Fold
Half Lift
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Right Foot Warrior 1
Open Up Warrior 2
Straighten front leg, Triangle
Side Facing Wide Leg Forward Bend
Namaste Front Facing Forward Fold
Twisting Triangle
Chaturanga Dandasana
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Left Foot Warrior 1
Open Up Warrior 2
Straighten front leg, Triangle
Side Facing Wide Leg Forward Bend
Namaste Front Facing Forward Fold
Twisting Triangle

IGNITING

Locust (x2)
Floor Bow (x2
Upward Facing Dog
Camel (x2
Bridge
Wheel (x6)
Supta Baddha Konasana
Dead Bug

STABILITY

Scissor Legs (x50)
60/30 Lift (x10)
Abdominal Twists (x50 [25 each side])
Boat Pose (high to low x10)

OPENING

Half Pigeon Right Side
Downward Facing Dog
Half Pigeon Left side
Double Pigeon (x1 each side)
Frog

RELEASE

Seated Single Leg Extension (x1 each side)
Seated Forward Bend
Table Top
Fish

REJUVENATION

Shoulder stand / Head stand/ Handstand or Waterfall pose
Plow Pose
Deaf Man's Pose

DEEP RELEASE

Supine Twist (x1 each side)
Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Savasana

I uploaded the pictures I took while I was at Level One to Flickr:

Created with flickr slideshow.

Two days left until I get on that plane and head to Baptiste Level One training at the Menla Mountain Retreat Center in Phoencia, NY. I'm as ready as I can be, packed twice (maybe three times) and I've over-thought everything.

I know that I am as ready as I'll ever be, but I'm also aware that I'm not anywhere close to physically prepared for the 2 asana sessions each day for the six full days we'll be there. I double checked the cell phone coverage maps for Verizon and AT&T (just to be sure!) and there really is no cell phone coverage at Menla. I'll be offline, out of reach for a full week and I'm O.K. with that.

I've written about what Baptiste yoga means to me in several different posts so I won't get into that here. I'm eager to advance my teaching skills to teach on my feet and lead a group through the powerful sequences that are part of a Baptiste flow. It will mean so much to me to give back the joy that I've found from being a Baptiste yogi.

Countdown Countdown

There are only 14 days left before I get on a plane and head to Baptiste Level One training at the Menla Mountain Retreat in Phoenicia, NY.

I have overthought every thing that can be overthought.

Prepared for every potentiality and packed the bare essentials.

Required items are a yoga mat, block(s) and a strap, and enough yoga clothing for 12 changes (2 per day). The full list of recommended things to bring is thankfully provided by the Baptiste organization.

How to fit all of these items into a carry-on suitcase is another thing all together. Luckily, I have my trusty Halliburton Zeroller and it has a ton of space. The connecting flight to Albany will likely require me to plane side check my suitcase (it'll be a small commuter plane). My mat in the yoga bag will be my other carry on item, and that means I can't bring my backpack! My flight schedule doesn't allow enough time to wait at baggage claim to pickup my suitcase (that would burn 30 minutes) and get to Menla on time, so it's carry-on only for me.

My suitcase is packed and ready to go and here's the list of what I'm packing:

1 Manduka PROlite 71" mat

2 cork blocks

1 strap

Assorted Ultima Replenisher packets

1 collapsible tripod + DIY clothes dryer contraption

1 single cup coffee maker and coffee pods

1 unbreakable coffee cup

1 Extension cord, electrical adapter (8 outlets)

1 cotton net tote bag

4 yoga mat towels & mat snaps

The other half of my suitcase has room enough for:
non liquid toiletries
hairbrush/hair ties
mesh tote bag (for carrying shampoo/hairbrush/soap to the showers)
6 yoga yoga bra tops
6 tank tops
1 combo yoga bra/top
1 swimsuit
1 nightgown/long shirt
1 lounge pants
1 long sleeve cover up top
7 yoga leggings
2 cotton hand towels

I hope that I've thought of everything but I'm sure there's something I've forgotten. I did recently order some tea tree towelette/wipes to clean my mat/face with as well as a battery powered rechargeable fan for the nightstand (assuming there is a night stand in the bunkhouse).

Stepping into the unknown is easier to do if I've had ample time to pack and prepare. I'm confident that I'm as prepared as I can hope to be!

I am continuing to raise the bar on my personal growth. I signed up for Level One Baptiste Yoga training for August 2016 and been accepted!! It will be held at the Menla Mountain Retreat & Conference Center in Phoenicia NY.

I've witnessed the transformation that occurs during Level One training during my time practicing at Breath and Body Yoga in Austin TX. I know I have my work cut out for me, mentally and physically to prepare for the week's long training. Long days, strange environments, meeting many new people and being a long way from home.

It is for this very reason that I have selected the bunkhouse sleeping quarters. It makes the most sense to me to lean into the unfamiliar territory of shared sleeping quarters during such a pivotal time in my yoga journey.

Related to this journey, I have written a post describing what Baptiste Power Vinyasa means to me.

I've been stressing about how to hang my clothes up to dry while at Baptiste Level One training in August. I opted for the bunkhouse lodging and as such, I won't have a closet or many options for hanging things. I've been thinking about an inexpensive, portable, collapsible solution to this problem for several months now.

Today I solved the problem with an idea to use a PVC pipe cap, threaded rods, acorn (cap) nuts, clear vinyl tubing and a bit of epoxy on a 1/4-20 nut (which exactly fits a camera tripod threading)

Parts list (minus the epoxy I already had)

611942038565 PVC CAP               0.98
     1-1/2" PVC CAP SLIP
887480001310 LOCK NUT 1/4          0.98
     1/4" STAINLESS STL NYLON LOCK NUT
887480000313 MACH SCREW
     MACH SCREW NUT SS #10-24
     4@0.98                          3.92
887480020113 CAP NUT
     CAP NUT ZINC #10-24
     2@0.98                          1.96
098268038583 20' VINYL             4.93
     5/16ODX3/16IDX20' VINYL TUBE
887480022070 THRDED ROD
     ROD THREADED ZINC 36X10/24
     2@2.18                          4.36

                   SUBTOTAL         17.13
                   SALES TAX         1.20
                   TOTAL           $18.33

I cut the two 36" sections of 1/4 threaded rod into 9 inch sections, giving me a total of eight "arms" on the hanger. Putting the hacksaw in the vice and sawing the threaded rod against the hacksaw blade made the process much easier! After cutting, I smoothed the newly cut ends on a file and tested the threading with the cap nuts.

I marked visually equidistant marks on the PVC end cap to allow for eight rods to connect to the cap. Drilling with a 3/16 bit made the insertion of the threaded rods a piece of cake. Keeping one nut on the inside of the cap and one on the outside and tightening them towards one another makes for a stable fit. Using a cap nut on the end of the arm prevents anyone from getting injured on the metal threading.

With all the arms attached, I tightened down the cap nuts and marked on the rod how far down they thread when fully tightened. I removed one cap nut and slid the clear vinyl tubing over the rod and marked on the tubing where the line on the rod was visible. Sliding the tubing back off of the rod a bit allowed me to make the cut in the tubing, slide the tubing back on, screw the cap nut back on and move on to the next arm until each of them had a protective vinyl sleeve over the exposed threading. This vinyl sleeve will make it so that any wet clothing that is hung on it does not become damaged.

I placed the hanger back in the vise and marked the center of the cap where I'd glue down the tripod threaded nut. I chose the nylon locking nut because it was a deeper threading than the non-locking nut. This gives me some wiggle room for the epoxy to adhere to the nylon threading, but not damage the threading on the rest of the nut.

Applying a dab of epoxy, smearing it around in a circular fashion until there was a clearing at the center point I'd marked. This made sure that a big blob of epoxy wasn't going to seep up into the threading as I put the tripod nut in place.

The completed hanger is 20 inches across, but the whole thing disassembles and fits into a fraction of that space!

The telescoping aluminum tripod I have is a Bilora, but any lightweight telescoping tripod will work. You can find tripods like this on eBay, typically in the $20 price range. Some are more expensive but I can't see a reason to justify the higher asking prices.

Update! Shortly after using the clothes hanger at Menla, the weight of the clothes drying was no match for the epoxy/nut solution I utilized. I limped through the rest of the week, but upon returning home, I re-engineered the top portion of the structure which connects to the tripod thread. I purchased a two inch long bolt (threaded 1/4 20) and two of the long connector bolts. One is tightened to the bolt coming through the top of the hanger cap and the other will provide the connection to the tripod thread mount.

Thoughts From Behind The Tech Desk

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Through the Eye of the Storm and Back Again #LevelOne #Menla2016 #BaptisteYoga

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Packing for Baptiste Level One - Menla 2016

Baptiste Level One - 2016 Phoenicia NY

Portable, collapsible clothes hanger from off the shelf parts

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